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Roman architecture

In the arches of Septimius Severus (c.ad 200), for instance, light and shadow—not the masses of the forms of the motifs—formed the design. Especially in Africa, illogical composition of the elements of entablatures robbed them of structural significance. In the Palace of Diocletian (c.ad 300), extensive use…

triumphal arch

…his triumph over Jerusalem; the Arch of Septimius Severus (203–205), commemorating his victory over the Parthians; and the Arch of Constantine (312), a composite product, decorated with reused material from the times of Domitian, Trajan, and Hadrian. Outside Rome, notable ancient examples include the arches of Augustus in Susa, Aosta,…